Indianapolis Drug Kingpin Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison

Grundy organization responsible for drug-trafficking and money laundering in Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS – United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced today that Richard Bernard Grundy, III, 30, Indianapolis, was sentenced today in federal court, by U.S. District Chief Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson, to life in federal prison. Grundy was convicted of drug-trafficking and money laundering following a three-week jury trial in August of 2019.

"Indianapolis is a safer community today with Grundy and his associates off the streets," said Minkler. "This sentence sends a clear message that if you choose to traffic drugs into our neighborhoods and endanger our citizens, we will find you, and you will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law."

Grundy was the leader of a drug-trafficking organization that distributed over 400 pounds of methamphetamine, as well as large amounts of heroin, cocaine, and marijuana in Indianapolis from August 2016 through November 17, 2017. Grundy was convicted of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, and other drug-trafficking and money laundering offenses.

Ezell Neville, 41, Undrae Moseby, 30, Derek Atwater, 33, and James Beasley, 39, also from Indianapolis, were convicted of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and other

drug-trafficking offenses. Neville served as a principal distributor of methamphetamine for Grundy. Moseby transported drug proceeds from Indianapolis to Phoenix, Arizona for Grundy and returned to Indianapolis with methamphetamine. Atwater and Beasley were mid-level methamphetamine distributors for Grundy’s organization.

Neville, Atwater, and Beasley were sentenced to 360 months, 216 months, and 235 months in federal prison, respectively. Moseby is awaiting sentencing. The statuses of the remaining codefendants are listed below.

David C. Carroll, sentenced on November 5, 2019, to 96 months

Michael Hyatte, sentenced on December 18, 2018, to 12 months and one day

Lance Hatcher, Jr., awaiting sentencing

Nathaniel Dixson, sentenced on November 27, 2018, to 120 months

Conway Jefferson, dismissed on November 17, 2017

Robert Lisenby, Jr., sentenced on October 24, 2018, to 276 months

Torin A. Harris, sentenced on November 26, 2018 to 120 months

John E. Bell, sentenced on November 14, 2018, to 180 months

Shemilah D. Crowe, sentenced on May 2, 2019, to 60 months

Gilberto Vizcarra-Milan, sentenced on December 5, 2019, to 300 months

Mario Eduado Villasenor, sentenced on October 30, 2019, to 48 months

Christopher D. Bradford, pending trial

Emilio Mitchell, II, sentenced on November 20, 2019, to 120 months

Thomas Bullock, sentenced on April 11, 2019, to 120 months

Mark T. Williams, sentenced on December 11, 2019, to 240 months

Isiah T. Finch, sentenced on September 25, 2019 to 36 months

Dion G. Madison, sentenced on April 10, 2019, to 97 months

Frank S. Early, sentenced on June 24, 2019, to 46 months

Emilio Mitchell, Jr., sentenced on May 14, 2019, to 57 months

Daona Le’Ann Gholston, sentenced on April 9, 2019, to 30 months

The lead investigative agencies were the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. Other agencies that assisted in the investigation included the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Fishers Police Department, Marion County Sheriff’s Department, Indiana State Police, and Zionsville Police Department.

"Mr. Grundy was under the mistaken impression he and his crew could run their criminal enterprise and flaunt their illegal activities in the face of the law without fear of consequence. Today’s sentence sends a strong and clear message to him and others – illegal drug trafficking, witness intimidation and violence will not be tolerated in Indianapolis, or anywhere in Indiana," said Special Agent in Charge Grant Mendenhall, FBI Indianapolis. "The FBI’s partnerships in this case were vital to a successful investigation, and the willingness of the U.S. Attorney’s Office to aggressively prosecute this group was important to putting others involved in similar criminal activities on notice that there is zero tolerance for their unlawful actions."

"Today’s sentencing is the culmination of years of cooperative efforts among local and federal law enforcement partners in Marion County," said IMPD Chief Bryan Roach. "Profiting from crime and violence in our community will not be tolerated, and this case should send a message to those in our city with similar violent criminal enterprises that we will hold them accountable."

"This sentence stands as a warning to others who use firearms and physical threats against the Indianapolis community," stated Jonathan McPherson, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Columbus Field Division. "The law enforcement community in central Indiana, at the local, state, and federal levels, will work long and hard to ensure that criminals are held responsible for their illegal and violent acts and that every victim receives the justice they deserve."

According to Assistant United States Attorneys Bradley A. Blackington and Lindsay E. Karwoski, who prosecuted this case for the government, Grundy will serve five years supervised release following his prison sentence, and he was fined $2,000.00.

In October 2017, United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced a Strategic Plan designed to shape and strengthen the District’s response to its most significant public safety challenges. This prosecution demonstrates the office’s firm commitment to target, investigate, and prosecute more violent criminal organizations engaged in drug trafficking, money laundering and the use of firearms to further a drug trafficking crime. See United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana Strategic Plan Section 2.1.